


queen of the borrowed light

by MovePastTheFeeling



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Flirting, Fluff, Getting Together, honestly just feel-good nonsense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 15:46:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11854725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MovePastTheFeeling/pseuds/MovePastTheFeeling
Summary: Max needs to leave her comfort zone. Luckily, Dana Ward is there to help...and to do a little bit more than help, when the time comes.





	1. putting the "sin" in "capsaicin"

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry, friends, I'm still working on "& all my problems (they're not even problems)." I just really, really wanted to write a bit of Dana/Max fluff, and I vomited out this 7,000+ word monstrosity. I hope you guys like it! I really had fun writing it, not only because imagining Dana and Max together is absolutely adorable, but also because I managed to fit in completely unnecessary music references into it. Even the title is a completely needless reference to a Wolves in the Throne Room track. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one!

“…So, anyway, he said that Deafheaven is a better band than Agalloch,” Chloe says. “And I was, like, dude! You fucking Pitchfork-reading hipster, there’s no way that Deafheaven is a better band. I mean, they’re just, what, building on shit that Alcest and ever post-rock band ever has pioneered and…”

“Chloe,” Max interrupts. “I kind of don’t know what we’re talking about.”

“What?” Chloe asks, stopping in her tracks. “Max, I’ve been on this topic for, like, the last fifteen minutes. How early did you lose the thread of the conversation?”

“Like, immediately?” Max answers sheepishly. “I don’t recognize any of the bands you’re talking about.”

“Dude, you need to listen to more music,” Chloe says. “Broaden your horizons! Break out of your cocoon!”

“I listen to plenty of music,” Max says.

“Syd Matters only counts as one band, no matter how many hours a day you spend listening to them,” Chloe says.

Max opens her mouth, about to answer, when she feels someone hook their arm around hers. Max turns to see Dana, who’s suddenly appeared beside her.

“Dana!” Max blurts out instead.

“Hey, Max,” Dana says. “Chloe, I’m stealing her away. That cool?”

Chloe’s eyes widen almost imperceptibly, before she returns to her usual, nonchalant expression. She shrugs.

“Yeah, it’s cool,” Chloe says. “I mean, sure, we spent five years apart from each other, but yeah, I don’t want to spend time with her.”

A look of absolute horror passes across Dana’s face, and Chloe glares at her for about half-a-second before dissolving into uproarious laughter.

“I’m just busting your balls, dude,” Chloe says. “Yeah, it’s no problem.”

Dana lets out an audible sigh of relief, while Max just smacks Chloe’s arm.

“Hey!” Chloe exclaims.

“Not cool!” Max says.

“You know I can’t pass up an opportunity like that,” Chloe says. “And it’s fine, seriously. I’ll just hang out with one of my cool friends. I bet Kate would be down to drink hella tea with me.”

“Sure, let’s go with that,” Max says.

“Kate loves me, alright?” Chloe says. “Peace, nerds.”

Chloe begins to wave goodbye, but she quickly turns that motion into her flipping the bird. Max just shakes her head.

“Anyway,” Dana says, elongating the vowel sounds. “I was thinking we could go and grab dinner.”

“Oh!” Max says. “I mean, yeah, okay. Sounds like fun.”

“You seem surprised,” Dana says. “You eat dinner, right?”

“Yeah, of course,” Max says, rubbing the back of her neck. “I just sort of assumed you wanted help with photography homework, or something.”

“Max, we can spend time together outside of class and homework. I mean, we’re friends, right?” Dana asks, though the way her voice lilts on the word “friends” tickles something in the back of Max’s mind.

“Oh, totally. So, where were you thinking? Two Whales?” Max asks, hope in her voice.

Dana laughs and bumps shoulders with Max.

“You’re always at Two Whales,” Dana says. “No, we’re going to try someplace new.”

Max takes a moment before responding. She knows that she doesn’t well with “new.” Seattle never stopped being new, even after five years. Now she’s back in Arcadia Bay, back in her comfort zone, and she doesn’t exactly want to step back out. Not that going to a different restaurant is a very big step. But it _is_ a step.

Dana looks so excited, though, that there’s no way Max is going to do anything to bring her down.

“Yeah, let’s do it,” Max says.

* * *

“I didn’t know we had an Indian restaurant in Arcadia Bay,” Max says. “I actually don’t think I’ve ever had Indian food before.”

“Yeah, well, Arcadia Bay is super white,” Dana says. “I was surprised when I found this place, too. But it’s really good, I promise.”

“Crazy,” Max says. “How’d you even find this place?”

“I love finding new places to eat, or new hobbies to try out, or just new anything,” Dana says. “The food is the best, though. I’ve gotten a lot of good food out of doing this.”

“Have you had any bad experiences, though?” Max asks.

“Yeah, of course,” Dana says. “But those are the best, sometimes. People love hearing the story about how I threw up after trying to eat a Century egg.”

“A what now?” Max asks.

“You don’t want to know,” Dana says. “Especially not right before dinner.”

Max scrunches up her nose, but doesn’t pursue it any further.

“Okay, so, this place turns into an all-you-can-eat buffet every Wednesday,” Dana says. “And unless I’ve completely lost my ability to tell time, today is Wednesday.”

Max giggles.

“I think you’re right, Dana,” Max says.

They step into the main area of the restaurant, where all of the tables have been shifted to make room for the buffet table in the very center. The smell of the food hits Max like a gust of wind, and she swears that she can taste the spice on her tongue already.

“It’s nice, right?” Dana asks, seemingly reading Max’s mind. “The spices they use are amazing. Take a deep breath.”

“I think my nose is on fire,” Max says.

“Well, then I have some concerns about your tongue,” Dana says. “Here, I’ll show you the best curries to try.”

The best dishes end up being literally all of them, and Max’s plate ends up a multicolored collage of curries and other foods she can’t quite identify. If she’s being honest with herself, Max wouldn’t have come to a place like this in a million years – though mostly for her obsession with Two Whales. Still, it’s hard for her not to get swept up in Dana’s energy

They find a table towards the front of the restaurant, which has a stunning view of the parking lot. Nobody exactly comes to Arcadia Bay for the cityscapes.

Dana takes a forkful of food, and Max does the same. Max inspects hers curiously, and Dana just laughs at her.

“It’s not going to bite back,” Dana says. “Here, c’mon. Cheers.”

Dana holds her fork out, clearly intending for Max to clank her own against it. Max smiles and does exactly that, and, without thinking about it (too much), slides the fork into her mouth and just eats the damn food.

It’s delicious, an explosion of spices that Max is wholly unused to. For a moment, her worry over the heat of the dish seems silly, but only for a moment. In the next second, the heat kicks in and Max’s eyes widen. It burns with a surprising intensity, somewhere in the back of her mouth, and the water she chugs does little to help.

It also doesn’t help that Dana’s immediate reaction is to laugh, though her mirth fades as she realizes that Max really is suffering. So, she flags down a waiter and orders a glass of milk and a mango lassi, just for good measure.

Both come out impressively quickly, and Max graciously takes the lassi and begins to chug it down. The effect is immediate, and the burning quickly subsides.

“Wow, that’s good!” Max says. “What is this?”

“Mango lassi,” Dana says. “It’s like a mango milkshake, but even better.”  

“You totally saved my taste buds,” Max says. “Thanks, Dana.”

“Don’t even mention it,” Dana says. “Besides, it’s not like I’m letting you drink all of it.”

Dana grabs the lassi in a swift motion and takes a quick swig. Max, for reasons that escape her in the moment, notices the way Dana’s lips, pink and full, settle on the same spot Max’s were just a moment earlier. Max feels herself growing warm, and she takes another bite of food just to have a tangible reason as to why.

“You’re staring, Max,” Dana says. “What, do I have something in my teeth?”

Dana smiles for her, toothy and wide, and Max can’t help but giggle.

“No, you’re fine,” Max says. “Sorry. Brain weirdness.”

“Brain weirdness,” Dana echoes. “Fair enough.”

The two of them are silent for a moment.

 “So, you’re liking it?” Dana asks, gesturing towards Max’s plate with her fork.

“Yeah, I am,” Max says. “Especially now that I have means to combat the burning.”

“It helps,” Dana says. “You’re taking it pretty well, though. You should’ve seen Juliet. She was such a big baby about everything.”

A pang of something strikes Max at the mention of Juliet, though she isn’t sure exactly where it comes from. What, is she jealous that Juliet is clearly closer with Dana than she is? It’s a question that Max isn’t so sure she wants answered.

The rest of their dinner is a pleasant affair, though, as the conversation turns to easy, casual topics like how classes are going (not great, but not terrible) and if Max is working on any photography projects (she’s not, though she feels she should be). They stay longer than Max had expected, the sun setting and casting long shadows across the parking lot. With Dana, though, conversation comes easily, and it’s nice to be with someone who’s just easy to be around. Even spending time with Chloe isn’t like this, given that she tends to slide so quickly into making vitriolic and acerbic comments about the world around her.

 _Wow, I can_ never _let Chloe know I just compared her unfavorably to Dana_.

The check comes around next, which Dana insists on picking up. Max valiantly tries to protest, but her attempts fall on deaf ears. Dana smoothly slides her credit card in with the check, and that’s that.

“I could’ve at least helped,” Max says.

“No way,” Dana says. “I’m the Blackwell rich kid, remember? My parents can handle me eating out every now and again.”

“Fine,” Max says. “Just know that I’m really angry with you.”

Dana just laughs.

“Your anger is adorable,” Dana says.

Max pouts, though she knows that doesn’t exactly disprove Dana’s point.

* * *

Night has fallen across Arcadia Bay by the time they get back to Blackwell, and the moon captures the campus with its strange, silvery light. There are only a few wispy clouds in the sky, letting the stars burn bright against the velvety-dark sky.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Max asks, looking upwards with her eyes full of awe.

“It is,” Dana says, though Max can’t really tell where her gaze is falling.

They walk in comfortable silence back to the dorms.

Once they’re back in the oh-so familiar hallway, standing outside of Dana’s dorm room, Max feels a reluctance tug at her gut. She’s never felt the prototypical “don’t want the night to end” as strongly as she does right now. Dana, though, seems to be feeling the same way, given the way she hovers outside her door.

“Hey, do you want to come in and watch a movie?” Dana asks. “Or something? If not, that’s cool.”

Dana is suddenly uncharacteristically shy, failing to even meet Max’s gaze. Max, though, being always shy, doesn’t pick up on it. At the same time, though, there’s no way she’s turning down the opportunity to spend even more time with Dana.

“That sounds great,” Max says.

“Yeah?” Dana asks, her voice breathy and her eyes bright. “I mean, yeah, totally, come on in.”

Dana sweeps the door open and gesture for Max to enter. Max has been in Dana’s room before, but never at night. There’s something so quietly intimate about being in somebody’s room at night, like they’re letting you in on a secret that nobody else knows. The bright colors of Dana’s room are much more muted in the moonlight, and they create a calming, soft ambience.

Dana hops on her bed and pats the space next to her. Max takes the cue and sits down next to her, making sure to leave a respectable gap between the two. For whatever reason (and there are many that could fit, Max knows it), Max’s shyness is becoming even more overbearing.

“What do you want to watch?” Dana asks. “I’m kind of coming into this half-baked.”

“Anything’s good with me,” Max says. “Honest. I’m very not-picky.”

Dana laughs and bumps shoulders with Max.

“Yeah, that’s very true,” Dana says. “I’ll just put something random on from Netflix.”

Max shrugs.

“Works for me,” Max says.

Dana chooses some romantic comedy movie that Max doesn’t at all recognize, and they settle in on the bed. Well, Dana settles in. Max, still feeling extremely self-conscious about being in Dana’s inner sanctum, sits with her back straight and at a respectable distance from Dana.

After a few moments, Max can feel Dana’s eyes on her. Max tries her hardest to look casual and to focus on the movie.

“Max, are you comfortable?” Dana asks.

“Me?” Max asks, as if there’s anyone else present. “I mean, yeah, I’m fine. Serious.”

Dana just gives her a look.

“Max, you look like you’re in etiquette school,” Dana says. “Which is a thing that my parents made me do when I was younger. Anyway, chill out, girl.”

“I – uh…” Max struggles to find any words at all as she simultaneously forgets what “relaxing” means, as a concept.

“Here, come on,” Dana says.

Dana shifts and lies down on her side, length-wise on the bed. Max looks down at her, looks at the swell of her hips and the long lines of her legs in the soft lighting.

“Well, I can’t be the only one doing this,” Dana says.

“Right, that’d be weird,” Max says. “And I’m definitely not weird.”

Dana laughs.

“You _are_ weird,” Dana says. “But you’re my favorite weirdo.”

That’s a halfway compliment that would be completely condescending coming from anyone else, but because it’s Dana – Max is convinced.

“Well, you’re my favorite Vortex Club member,” Max says.

“Not a high bar to cross,” Dana says.

“You know what I mean,” Max mumbles.

Max awkwardly shifts and repositions herself, ungracefully ending up on her side, a few inches away from Dana.

“My goodness, Max,” Dana says. “It’s girl’s night. We can get a little cozy.”

Max nearly jumps off the bed when she feels warmth against her back and Dana’s arm snaking around her midsection. All of the muscles surrounding Max’s stomach tense up at Dana’s touch, and Max can feel herself grow warmer and warmer.

“Is this okay?” Dana asks, certainly feeling Max tense up.

“Yeah, sorry,” Max says, hearing herself apologizing for no reason. “Yeah, this is fine. Cozy.”

“Well, good,” Dana says simply.

Dana’s breath comes out as warm, regular puffs against the back of Max’s neck. They’re a distracting tickle at first, but they quickly become a comforting rhythm, a consistent reminder that Dana is right there, so wonderfully close.

Max zones out for most of the movie, instead relishing the feeling of Dana pressed against her. At one point, though, she feels Dana’s breath growing more rapid and her hold grows tighter, and Max decides to focus in on what’s happening on the screen. Her cheeks immediately flush red as she realizes that the characters are engaged in some very lustful (and very PG-13) lovemaking.

The urge to make a dumb comment to dissolve the sudden tension in the room hits Max like a runaway train, but she also knows she’s not witty to come up with anything good. Still, she can’t help but open her mouth and try.

“This is pretty straight, am I right?” Max says.

Max swears the sound of the movie drops away, and all she’s left with is her dumb comment reverberating off the walls.

 _I want to die_.

“What, are you not into that?” Dana asks. “You don’t like two heteronormative characters thrusting vaguely at each other?”

Max laughs, thanking whatever gods are out there looking after her that Dana took her comment in stride.

“Seems awkward,” Max says.

“Yeah, I agree. I’m still waiting for someone to make a cheesy, feel-good lesbian rom-com,” Dana says. “One that isn’t ‘Imagine Me & You.’ I can only watch that movie so many times.”

Max scrunches up her nose.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that one,” Max says.

Dana gasps and she involuntarily slaps Max’s shoulder.

“Hey!” Max says.

“You’ve never seen ‘Imagine Me & You?’ Why did we spend so much time watching this nonsense when we could’ve been watching Lena Headey kiss Piper Perabo?” Dana asks.

“Is it that good?” Max asks.

Dana pauses for a moment.

“Look, I mean, I don’t judge,” Dana says. “Next movie night we can watch that one.”

All of this talk of girls kissing and of future movie nights, cuddled up to Dana like this, is almost too much for Max’s little heart to handle.

“Yeah,” Max says, her mouth suddenly dry. “Next time.”

They fall into silence for the rest of the movie, which plays out as predictably as they could’ve imagined. There’s some contrived conflict between the two leads, the male lead does something over-the-top and slightly illegal to apologize to the female lead, and they kiss and everything’s okay. It happens with such clockwork regularity that Max wonders if all romances in real life are destined to go this way.

As the movie ends, Dana yawns as she shuts her laptop. The noise reminds Max that she’s getting pretty tired, too, and that they both have class to attend the next day.

“Well, I think it’s about time to call it a night,” Dana says.

“Yeah, I think so too,” Max says. “It’s pretty late.”

“That it is,” Dana says.

Max starts getting up to leave, when Dana clears her throat.

“Uh, you can crash here, if you want,” Dana says. “I can take the couch, or, y’know, this bed is pretty big.”

Max’s cheeks immediately flush red. The thought of sharing a bed with Dana, beautiful Dana with her pretty eyes and annoyingly long legs, is too much for Max to handle. Max knows that she’s taking way too long to respond, but she can’t think of any words.

“Sorry, that’s…y’know…your room isn’t that far away, I suppose,” Dana says. “And I guess the bed isn’t _that_ big.”

“No,” Max blurts out. “I mean, yeah, I don’t mind crashing here. I’m so tired I could just pass out right now.”

That’s not entirely true. Max is tired, but there’s so much adrenaline coursing through her veins right now that sleep will probably elude her for far too long.

“Cool!” Dana says, her voice breathy and excited. “You can borrow some of my pajamas. This is cool. Like a mini-sleepover.”

“Yeah,” Max says, nodding just a bit too enthusiastically. “Super cool. Mini-sleepover. I like it.”

Dana just looks at her for a moment, before bursting out laughing. Max isn’t sure if she should feel offended or not.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Dana says as she sees the expression on Max’s face. “It’s not you – I was just – sorry.”

Dana shakes her head and gets up off the bed to fish a couple sets of sleep clothes out of her wardrobe. She tosses one of them at Max.

“Here, let’s get changed,” Dana says. “I promise not to look. Unless you’re into that sort of thing.”

Max looks absolutely scandalized.

“Sorry, bad joke,” Dana says. “I’ll just be over here, not talking anymore.”

Dana shuffles over to one corner of the room, while Max takes another. Max strips in record time, like she’s being judged on how quickly she can rip her t-shirt and jeans off. She practically flies into the pajamas that Dana has provided as well, not even making sure if they’re inside-out or on the right way (she manages to do just fine).

Once she’s done, Max turns around. Just a moment too soon, as it turns out.

Dana is taking her time in a way that Max certainly did not. Her pajama bottoms are on – fuzzy little shorts that are entirely way too short for Dana’s long legs – but she’s completely topless. Max can feel heat course through her body like a tidal wave as she stares in spite of herself. Dana has taken her bra off, and the smooth expanse of her back is on full display in the soft, warm lighting of the room. There are red marks at the spots her bra strap dug into her skin, and Max is struck with the sudden urge to massage away those subtle marks that so boldly mar Dana’s otherwise flawless skin.

Dana finally pulls her top on and begins to turn around. Max squeaks and does the same, staring down at the carpet instead of directly at Dana.

“Max,” Dana says, to no response. “Max?”

Max shakes her head, trying to remember how to act like a normal human person, and turns around.

“Sorry,” Max says. “What’s up?”

“Could you turn the lights off? You’re closer to the switch,” Dana says. “Unless you’re not ready to sleep, of course.”

“Nope, I’m good,” Max says.

Max flips the switch and the room is bathed in a warm darkness. The moonlight, surprisingly strong, flows in through the slits of the blinds that cover the window, casting Dana’s room in a soothing light.

Dana slips beneath the covers first, and Max follows suit. They’re so close, and Max relishes in the warmth of Dana’s body against her. Sleep doesn’t come easily for Max, as the image of Dana’s bare back refuses to leave the forefront of her mind.

* * *

It takes Max a moment to remember just what happened last night – that she’s not in her room, but in Dana’s. Max stares up at the ceiling for a long time and tries not think about just how close Dana is, how the soft skin of her upper arm just barely makes contact with Max’s shoulders. That light touch somehow makes everything even more intimate, the contact so innocent and faint, like something out of a half-remembered dream.

Max pretends to be asleep once Dana herself starts coming to. It happens in stages – first there’s a gentle stirring, then Dana’s limbs seem to come to life one at a time, stretching outwards in wayward angles, and finally Dana yawns languidly and lazily props herself up on her elbows.

“Max, you up?” Dana asks, her voice soft and scuzzy.

“Yeah,” Max manages to say.

“This is nice,” Dana says simply.

“Yeah,” Max echoes. “I mean, your bed. It’s really comfortable.”

Max knows just how lame that sounds, because it was painful just saying it, but Dana is gracious enough to laugh.

“I think it’s the same as yours,” Dana says. “Though I’d have to try it out, just to be sure.”

Max’s face immediately turns red and she sinks beneath the sheets.

_Oh god, Dana’s flirting with me, isn’t she? I’m not equipped for this…though I guess I did spend the night in her bed._

“Do you have an early class?” Dana asks.

“I do, actually. History,” Max says, pulling a face.

“I have math class,” Dana says. “C’mon, I’ll walk you there. We can pick up breakfast at the cafeteria.”

“Sounds good,” Max says. “I should probably change, though. I’ve been wearing these clothes since yesterday.”

“We don’t want to start a scandal, do we?” Dana asks. “Whatever will people say if they see you coming out of my room in yesterday’s clothes?”

Max turns even more red and she sputters and fumbles as she tries to form actual words and not just weird mouth-sounds. Dana just laughs even harder and playfully shoves Max’s shoulder.

“You adorable little weirdo,” Dana says. “I’m just teasing. Get out of here, I’ll meet you out in the hallway in fifteen.”

Max nods and reluctantly slides out of Dana’s bed. She slowly opens the door, taking care to not make too much noise such that her egress from Dana’s room isn’t too obvious. She quickly peeks out into the hallway and, to her relief, finds nobody around her, though there are some open doors. Max exhales and turns around, slowly closes the door, and turns back around…

To find herself face-to-face with Victoria.

Max jumps. Victoria, to all appearances, seems to have materialized out of thin air. Plus, Victoria always terrifies Max, no matter the context.

“Wow, little hipster, I’d never expect you to be the one making the mid-week walk of shame,” Victoria says. “And with Dana, too. I guess she’s lowered her standards even further.”

“Hey, it’s not a walk of shame if it’s all in the same dorm room!” Max says. “Wait, I’m arguing the wrong thing. Nothing happened with Dana. And her standards are fine!”

“Great comeback, weirdo,” Victoria says. “Wow, and I thought I’d have to go this whole morning without any amazing gossip to share. Thanks, Max.”

“There’s nothing to gossip about,” Max says. “Nothing happened.”

Victoria just raises a single, perfectly-manicured eyebrow at that.

“Right, that’s definitely the most likely possibility,” Victoria says. “Ta-ta, Max, I’ll see you in class.”

As soon as Victoria is out of earshot, Max throws her head back and groans. Why does Victoria have to be such a pain?


	2. life's a beach

A couple of days later, and it turns out that any Victoria-spread gossip about Max and Dana hasn’t really caught on. Max gets a few more looks than usual as she walks around campus, but for the most part, it seems like nobody really seems to care. If anything, it feels as if people are unsurprised by this development, as if Dana and Max had been on a collision course this entire time. Of course, nothing has actually happened between the two of them, but people don’t really seem to care about that, either.

It’s almost mid-day, the sun closing in on the zenith of its arc, as Max walks across the main quad, heading off to class. She has her earbuds in and is paying more attention to the way the harsh sunlight creates such dark and defined shadows along the grass when she feels an arm hook around her own. Max jumps and turns to see Dana has seemingly materialized beside her.

“Dana? Uh, what’s going on?” Max greets.

“You should skip class today,” Dana says.

“How do you know I’m on my way to class?” Max asks.

“Because you’re walking with the urgency of someone who’s on the verge of being late to class,” Dana says. “Also, I asked Chloe where you were and she apparently has your schedule memorized.”

“That’s…not at all surprising, actually,” Max says. “Anyway, Dana, I can’t skip class. I’m already borderline failing history and the teacher already thinks I hate him.”

“Max, everyone hates that history teacher,” Dana says. “It’s not a problem. Besides, I’m taking you somewhere way more fun than history class.”

“Anything is more fun than that class,” Max says. “That’s not really the issue.”

“Max, c’mon,” Dana says, stretching out her vowels and pulling at Max’s arm. “Don’t be lame. Seriously, when you’re on your deathbed, do you really think you’ll regret skipping one stupid class? No! You’ll be lamenting that you didn’t spend more time with your good friend, Dana Ward.”

“Dana…” Max says.

“Max,” Dana says, elongating the “a” in her name until it doesn’t even sound like a word anymore.

“You’re not going to let me go, are you?” Max asks.

“If it comes to that,” Dana says, shrugging. “I’m pretty sure I’m stronger than you are. I do cheer and I’m on the swim team.”

“Sheesh, Dana,” Max says. “Fine, I’ll skip class.”

“Great! Follow me,” Dana says, dragging Max off in the absolute opposite direction.

“Dana, where are we going?” Max asks. “Dana, you’re not answering me.”

* * *

It turns out that Dana’s plan to skip class has them _really_ skipping class. Dana drags Max all the way out to her car, and they cruise down to the beach. They make it there right at noon, and the sun burns even brighter, making the sky seem even more blue and the clouds more white. It’s a beautiful spring day, and it lifts Max’s spirits just to be outside and experiencing it.

“Dana, I don’t exactly have a swimsuit with me,” Max says.

“Hey, it’s fine,” Dana says. “We can just skinny dip.”

Max’s mouth falls open as her cheeks turn bright red. The prospect of even wearing a swimsuit around Dana is too much for Max, but to completely strip bare? There’s no way Max’s heart could handle it…and Dana is just laughing at Max’s reaction.

“I’m kidding,” Dana says. “I brought an extra swimsuit, one of my old one-piece suits I wore for swim team practice.”

Max exhales audibly.

“That was mean, Dana,” Max says.

“You know I can’t resist,” Dana says. “I have my suit on already, so I’ll pick out a nice spot on the beach while you change.”

“You jerk,” Max says. “But fine, I’ll be out soon.”

Max braves the horrors of the public beach restroom and changes into Dana’s swimsuit as quickly as she can. The one-piece style is quite conservative, thankfully, though it doesn’t cover quite enough of her butt for her to be completely comfortable.

Dana smiles at Max as she pads her way across the hot sand.

“I think I like you in my clothes,” Dana says.

Max makes peace with the fact that she’s probably going to blush every single moment she’s with Dana, and simply smiles back at her.

“I’m just glad this fits,” Max says. “I’m a stick compared to you.”

Dana rolls her eyes.

“You look great, Max, you always do,” Dana says. “Hey, we should take a selfie to remember this moment.”

“You want to document us skipping class?” Max asks, only half-joking.

“Hey, only you’re skipping class,” Dana says. “You’re the delinquent here. Have you seriously never done this before?”

Max shakes her head.

“Of course not,” Max says. “My parents drilled not skipping class ever into my head.”

“Fair enough,” Dana says. “This _is_ only high school, though. The older you get, the less chance you have to just tell everyone else to fuck off and just do your own thing.”

“Wow, I didn’t know this day would be a battleground for youthful expression,” Max says.

“Every day is a battleground for youthful expression,” Dana says, grinning. “Now c’mon, whip out that camera, hipster. I want a picture of us.”

Max just laughs.

“If you say so,” Max says, digging around in her shoulder bag for her instant camera.

She flips the camera around, aiming the lens at herself and Dana. Dana throws an arm around Max’s shoulders, and right as Max takes the shot, Dana leans forward and presses her lips to Max’s cheek. It’s so unexpected and Dana’s lips are so incredibly soft that Max nearly drops the camera in surprise. Max distracts herself by grabbing the developing polaroid and stashing it in her bag.

“I think that picture’s going to turn out great,” Dana says.

“Yeah,” Max says. “Yeah, I think so too.”

Dana smiles brightly at Max before pushing herself up into a standing position.

“C’mon, I want to get in the water,” Dana says. “I’ll race you there.”

Without giving Max a chance to respond, Dana starts sprinting off to the shoreline, her long legs carrying her easily across the sand.

“Hey!” Max exclaims.

Max tries her hardest to catch, but her first few steps are awkward as her feet catch against the sand. It’s not that far, but Max is nearly out of breath by the time she makes it to the water’s edge. The cool waves lap up around Max’s feet as she gingerly steps into the water.

“You lose,” Dana says, grinning and splashing Max with water.

Max squeaks and sputters as the cool water hits her face and upper body.   

“Dana!” Max says, and immediately retaliates.

The peaceful day quickly devolves into an all-out water war as neither is willing to give up. They finally call it off, though, when Max manages to hit Dana at just the right time, and Dana ends up unintentionally swallowing a mouthful of salty ocean water, leaving her couching and spitting out what she can.

“Dana, I’m so sorry!” Max says.

Dana just has a mischievous look in her eyes as she sizes Max up.

“Dana?” Max asks. “Everything okay?”

Dana launches herself forward, catching Max around the waist and dragging her underwater. Max shrieks and tries to wriggle out of Dana’s grasp, to no avail. After a few moments of being dunked beneath the waves, Dana allows the two of them to float back up above the surface.

Dana, though, keeps her arms wrapped around Max.

The bright sun makes the droplets of water clinging to Dana’s hair and the crests of the waves around the sparkle, transporting Max out of reality for a moment. The feeling of Dana’s skin against hers is intoxicating, too, being both slick from water and soft and sun-kissed all at once. Dana’s gaze is soft but intense, and Max finds herself scrambling to look anywhere else. Max tries to look anywhere else, but ends up focusing on Dana’s lips, full and soft, for just a beat too long.

Max panics and carefully but quickly extricates herself from Dana’s grasp. A flash of something flits across Dana’s face, but for just a moment, and the look is gone as quickly as it comes.

* * *

They spend an hour or so swimming and splashing around, enjoying the relative warmth of the water (it’s usually freezing cold, so being merely cool is an incredible treat), and the bright sun, completely unobscured thanks to the utter lack of clouds.

Max is a bit surprised to find herself disappointed by the time she’s dried off and has her normal clothes back on, given how reluctant she was to skip class in the first place.

“Back to reality,” Dana comments off-handedly.

“Yeah, back to reality,” Max echoes. “Hey, do you want to check out that selfie we took? There’s no way it’s not ready by now.”

“Ooh, yeah, I really want to,” Dana says.

Dana scoots closer to Max as she fishes through her bag for the picture. She pulls it out and Dana leans in even closer to get a better look at it. Max tries her best to ignore the soft, warm puffs of breath against her neck. The picture itself is adorable, with the tinge of pink on Max’s cheeks just coming through as Dana presses her lips to them.

“I like it,” Dana says softly. “Are you going to hang it up on your wall?”

Max thinks for a moment, before holding the picture out to Dana.

“Nah, I think you should take it,” Max says. “I have plenty of pictures already.”

“None of me, though,” Dana says.

“We can take more pictures,” Max says.

Dana grins and plucks the polaroid from Max’s fingers.

“I’ll hold you to that, Caulfield,” Dana says. “Alright, let’s head back to campus. I actually do have a class to go to.”

“Oh, so you make me skip class, but you’re worried about missing out on one?” Max asks.

“Yup!” Dana says.

* * *

“So, I know it’s none of my business,” Chloe says. “Though it totally is because I’m your best friend and I tell you all of my shit…”

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” Max says. “You don’t need to tell me _everything_. Like, I don’t need to hear all of the details about your hook-ups with various girls on campus.”

“I have a strict kiss and tell policy, Max,” Chloe says. “Nothing I can do about it. But seriously, you and Dana. What’s going on there?”

“Nothing’s going on,” Max says.

“Max, you ‘slept over’ in her dorm room the other night,” Chloe says. “And she got you to skip class. That’s impossible. I can’t even get you to skip class. Even that one time I bribed you with weed.”

“I don’t smoke, Chloe,” Max says.

“That’s crazy-talk, Max,” Chloe says. “Why would I bribe you with weed if you don’t smoke?”

Max just rolls her eyes.

“Okay, okay, fine,” Chloe says. “But c’mon, is something happening? I don’t ever want to get my Max Caulfield information second-hand. I want to get it straight from the source, pure and untapped.”

“Nothing is happening,” Max says. “We’re friends. That’s it. Queer girls can be friends and nothing more, Chloe.”

“Alright, I hear you,” Chloe says, holding her hands up in surrender. “I hope you mean that, and you’re not just being a little chickenshit about everything.”

Max hates to admit it, but that does gives her pause. Is there really nothing going on between her and Dana, or is she just afraid of what might happen if she actually follows her gut feelings for once?

* * *

“Kate, do you think I’m chickenshit?” Max asks.

“Language!” Kate says facetiously. “Where’s this coming from, Max?”

Max sighs and slumps forward, resting her cheek against her upturned palm. The two friends are hanging out in their favorite café, sipping from their mugs of tea.

“I was talking with Chloe the other day,” Max says. “And she thinks I’m not pursuing Dana or whatever because I’m scared, not because I don’t feel like that about her.”

“Well, what do you feel?” Kate asks. “I’ve noticed you two have been pretty close lately.”

“I don’t know,” Max says. “I like spending time with her. She’s fun and bright and positive, like, all the time. And she’s really pretty. In an objective sense. But would anyone disagree with that? I don’t know, Kate, I’m terrible at this.”

“Well, it seems as if you really like her, at least on one level,” Kate says. “Taking it any further is up to you. Also, I’m not exactly the person to ask for advice. I run the abstinence club, Max.”

Max laughs.

“Yeah, fair enough,” Max says.

“But you aren’t a chicken…you-know-what, Max,” Kate says. “I mean, we’re young. Everyone wants for a little confidence at our age. But I have faith you’ll have the confidence to do what you want when the moment is right.”

The two friends simply stare at one another for a moment.

“…Wow, that was a lot deeper than I was intending,” Kate says, giggling. “Everything’ll be alright, Max. That’s really what I’m trying to say.”

Max laughs, leaning back in her chair.

“Thanks, Kate. That’s always nice to hear,” Max says.

* * *

It doesn’t take long for Max to come to terms with being interested in Dana in a more-than-friendly way. It does take her about a week to build up the confidence to do anything about it.

It’s not as if she’s bereft of opportunities, though.

Dana seems insistent on attaching herself to Max’s hip. They walk to classes together, eat meals together, even study together. There are so many quiet moments between the two of them that Max begins to lose track of them, as her time spent together with Dana blends into one pleasant but ultimately nerve-wracking affair.

Max just doesn’t know how to bring it up. What do people normally say in this situation? “Hey, do you want to continue this friendship but enhance it by kissing each other’s faces?” “Will you remove the space and go from ‘girl friend’ to ‘girlfriend?’” “You know what would really enhance this study session? If it were actually a date and we were dating. So romantic!” Everything is so far out of her comfort zone that she can’t stand it.

Max beats herself up about it so much that she has a hard time actually focusing on Dana when she spends time with her, instead thinking of and shooting down all the ways she could confess her newfound feelings. Hanging out with Dana slowly turns into the world’s most enjoyable torture.

* * *

It’s overwhelming. Max plays out all the various ways she could ask Dana out, and each one is at once dumber and more nerve-wracking than the last. There are plenty of people in relationships around campus. How did they do it?

It’s quickly barreling to towards finals week, which also marks the end of the school year. Under any other circumstance, Max would be freaking out that she’s almost done with her junior year of high school. But, that anxiety is completely outweighed by her numerous Dana-related anxieties.

Max finds herself, as she so often does these days, in Dana’s room. The two of them are studying for their upcoming exams. Well – Dana is studying. Max is oscillating between trying (and failing) to not stare at Dana for too long, and running through ludicrous means to confess her attraction towards Dana. In other words, Max has been staring at the same page of notes for the past twenty minutes.

“Hey, Max, could you pass me my history textbook?” Dana asks.

Dana’s voice sparks something in Max (though, not the desire to hand Dana her textbook). No, a spark goes off in Max’s mind, something signifying that this is it. This is her moment. It doesn’t make any logical sense, and if asked about it later, Max would certainly call it a temporary bout of insanity. But in the moment, Max can’t think about anything else. If it doesn’t happen now, it might just not happen.

“Max, my history textbook?” Dana repeats. “Sorry, I think it’s on the bed next to you.”

Max sees Dana in slow motion, sees the ways her soft lips form all of the words she’s saying, but doesn’t quite comprehend the meaning of everything that’s coming out of her mouth.

“Max, are you alright?” Dana asks. “We can take a break from studying if you want. I’m getting pretty burnt out myself.”

 _This is it. This is_ the moment.

“Dana, will you go out with me?” Max blurts out.

Dana opens her mouth, then closes it. Then opens it again, only to close it again. The brief rush of adrenaline that fueled Max’s sudden outburst immediately drains, and she’s left with the cold, icy grip of shame that always accompanies her worst moments of social awkwardness. Max contemplates the odds that she’ll just spontaneously combust. Whatever they may be, they’re not nearly high enough.

And then, Dana laughs. She laughs and laughs, and Max might feel offended if it weren’t such a buoyant and joyous sound. Max might even feel inclined to join in if not for the little voice in the back her head saying that Dana is laughing at her expense.

“I should just go…” Max begins to mumble.

“Max, of course I’ll go out with you,” Dana says, her rapturous laughter playing with her voice. “I was wondering when you were going to ask. Man, you have great timing, huh? Right as we’re studying?”

“Wait, what?” Max asks, her mouth and brain absolutely not in sync.

“I’ve been flirting with you for weeks,” Dana says. “I didn’t think it’d take so long for you to pick up on it.”

“Hey! I’ve been trying to ask you out,” Max says. “There was just never the right moment. And also, I’m very awkward.”

“Now is the right moment?” Dana asks.

“You’re teasing me an awful lot,” Max says. “Especially now that we’re a thing.”

Dana laughs again, and wraps Max up in her arms. A small smile finds its way to Max’s lips, despite her feeble attempt to act angry at Dana.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Max,” Dana says. “How could I make it up to you?”

“Well, I know a cool Indian place. I went with a friend, once upon a time,” Max says, her smile growing bigger and bigger. “We could go after finals. Like, a date.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Dana says. “And that sounds like a great friend you have.”

Max rolls her eyes, but her smile is absolutely blinding.


	3. epilogue

“Chloe, I just can’t get behind the entire ethos of black metal,” Kate says. “I appreciate you trying to introduce me to your favorite music, but it’s really not for me.”

“Really? Not even _Shelter?_ ” Chloe asks.

“Does that even count as metal at all?” Kate asks.

Chloe sighs and shakes her head.

“I’ll get you into cool music one day, Kate,” Chloe says.

“I like a lot of Max’s music,” Kate says. “You know, Syd Matters, Bright Eyes…”

“Ha! People do like indie folk!” Max says, pumping her fist in the air.

“Yeah, fuckin’ lame people,” Chloe says.

Max just shakes her head. The three friends are walking down the hallway, having just finished their last final exams. Summer break is within their grasp, and it feels so good.

Suddenly, Dana swoops in from seemingly nowhere and catches Max in a swift yet passionate kiss. That feels pretty good, too.

“Hey, you,” Dana says. “I believe you owe me a date.”

“I think I do,” Max says.

Dana smoothly slides her hand against Max’s, and they interlace their fingers. Without another word to Chloe and Kate, they walk off, excited to have their first official date.

Kate and Chloe are stunned for a moment, stopped in their tracks.

“Oh my lesbian Mary and Joseph,” Chloe exclaims, to which Kate just mouths “what?” “Did that just happen? Is my girl Max getting some? From, like, the hottest girl on campus?”

“I don’t know what Max is getting,” Kate says. “And that seems like a reductive way to…”

“I know, I know, damn,” Chloe says. “Sorry. I’m just hella excited. My little Max is growing up!”

“I’m happy for her, too,” Kate says.

Chloe sighs happily and rests her arm on Kate’s shoulders. Kate looks immediately uncomfortable, though she eventually settles into it.

“I’m going to go listen to some black metal to celebrate,” Chloe says. “That’s what I’m going to do. This situation calls for some Weakling – _Dead as Dreams_.”

“Heavens, _why?_ ” Kate asks, flabbergasted.

**Author's Note:**

> As always always always always always, I love feedback almost as much as Chloe loves pontificating about atmospheric black metal bands.


End file.
